independent Cornish news and comment

Restormel: Cornish Produce Village and Gallery Now Open

The eagerly-awaited opening of the unique Kingsley Village outlet, showcasing the very best of Cornish food, arts and crafts, has opened its doors to the public.
Kingsley Village, the exciting development just off the A30 at Fraddon, which has been 12 months and four million pounds in the making, has just opened.

suchgallery, at just over 4,000 square feet, is one of the largest gallery spaces in the UK and occupies most of the first floor, shared only with state-of-the-art conference facilities and Palate - the restaurant run by ex-Tate Modern and Harvey Nichols chefs, Steve Pitt and Joe Lado, along with business partner, Colin Phillips.

The gallery will show a broad range of modern and contemporary paintings, photography, ceramics and sculptures from artists all over Cornwall, with prices ranging from £30, to a masterpiece at £40,000, by the controversial and prolific Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz, who, since his death in 2002 is referred to as a ‘modern day Rembrandt’.

John Such, photographer and owner of suchgallery, said: “We have worked extremely hard to fill the space and we have discovered some superb work from artists right across the county, whose pieces will be an investment for the buyers’ future.

“It is a really exciting time for suchgoodpictures too – the gallery will house a professional photographic studio for which we will be taking bookings for portraits, which should prove really popular in the run up to Christmas. It is great to be working with Kingsley’s – I believe this development is the best thing for Cornwall since the Eden Project!�

suchgallery is not just a vehicle for displaying works of art – John and gallery manager, Matthew Clark, have great ideas about the amenable space. They are in negotiations with leading industry personnel with regards to hosting fashion shows and other prestigious events.

Matthew, said: “The whole project really is very, very exciting. We are exhibiting work from some of the leading artistic talent in Cornwall – sculptures by Colin Scull, paintings by Timothy Wright, photography by our very own John Such, and some wonderful abstracts from Jenny Lewith and Porthleven-based Paul Wadsworth, who has carried out a series of commissions, including stage set design and creation for Glastonbury Music Festival. Our plans for the future involve utilising the space for multi-function cross-creative media development.�

Downstairs at Kingsley Village, the 7,000 square feet food hall will house a local butcher, bakery, fishmonger, delicatessen and greengrocer, as well as wide range of beer and wine, and packet goods including jams, pickles, preserves, sauces and Cornish spring water.

The 23,000 square feet crafts hall will offer a superb choice of gifts and home wares, with over 100 suppliers of hand-made craft items, including jewellery, with workstations so visitors can see the goods being created. This hall will also host specialist in-house chocolate, fudge and confectionary makers, along with an ice-cream parlour.

It is estimated that the outlet will provide up to 86 jobs in the next three years and will boost Cornwall’s economy, with an additional £4million being spent in the county.

John Marshall, project manager, Kingsley Village, said: “We want this to be the Fortnum and Mason or Harvey Nicholls of Cornwall. All fittings are top of the range and the produce and crafts being sold will be top quality. The outlet will offer local, fresh produce, almost like a permanent farmers market, but with the convenience of a supermarket, while providing a larger variety of crafts than most high streets. It will appeal to visitors and locals alike, and it will attract new visitors to the county – with such a central location, we have everything anyone needs.�

The outlet is open seven days a week, 9am-8pm. Palate is open later to accommodate those dining out. suchgallery is also open by appointment.